Manuscripts holdings is one of the world's richest collections of written landmarks of national and world culture from ancient Egyptian papyri to autographs of our contemporaries. The manuscripts held by the National Library of Russia comprise of over 1400 private archives and collections that today number more than 450 000 valuable items for all periods and countries.

The library's stock of rare books contains more than 70 000 volumes. An appreciable portion of those are incunabula (books printed before 1501): about 7 000 works. The library has no rival for its stock of early Russian printed books and Slavonic incunabula, it also holds a large amount of West European publications from the 16th and 17th century. The most remarkable among collections are Aldine editions of the 15th - 16th centuries and Elseviers produced by the celebrated 17th/century Dutch family firm. The Rare Books Department can boast Voltaire's Library, the unique monument of 18th century culture, that is one of some well surviving private libraries of that time.

The National Library's collection of printed maps and atlases is the second largest in the country, comprising more than 180,000 items printed in Russia and abroad from the sixteenth century to the present. It incudes maps, atlases, reproductions of manuscripts, globes, electronic cartographic publications.

A unique photographic collection of the Prints Department is a true chronicle of the life of Russia since the second half of the 19th . It includes portraits from the 1850s, photographic views of cities and other places since the 1850s, photos on various subjects from the 1860s, photographic reproductions of works of art.

The hand-written copy of the Amsterdam edition of 1700 contains two works devoted to the art of gardening. The first treatise by the French author Andre La Croix describes the types of flowers and how to care for them, as well as a catalogue of varieties of Dutch tulips. The author of the following treatise, the pastor from Stettin, Johann Georg Mueller deals with the arrangement of gardens as well as with garden architecture. The manuscript may have been commissioned by the Załuski brothers who were very concerned that literature on various branches of knowledge was available in their public library. In the first half of the 18th century, when landscape architecture was developed in Warsaw, a reference books of this kind were extremely necessary to garden designers.

The manuscript contains a French translation of treatises on maintaining health by the professor of medicine at the University of Pavia Guido Parato. The author of the treatise dealing with the issues of hygiene and disease prevention, served in Milan at the court of the patron of the arts Duke Francesco Sforza (1401-1466). The French copy of the work was made by the order of the Burgundian Duke Philip the Good (1396-1467) for his very valuable library. The text of the manuscript was preceded by the miniature by Simon Marmion (c. 1425-1489) - one of the 15th century best painters. The miniature depicts the scene of the presentation of the manuscript to the Duke, surrounded by his retinue. The artist portrayed the likeness of the Duke with great skill.The manuscript is bound in ancient boards covered with green brocade.

18. Allerhand bewehrte Mittel vor die Pferde

Different roborant remedies for horses.
17th century (beginning), Poland?, in the German language.
Nem. Q.VI.59A manual for veterinary without a title sheet and binding.

The Załuski library contained significant number of medical treatises in different European languages, including several manuscripts for the care of horses and their treatment.